1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to anti-theft devices and, more particularly, to an improved trailer hitch lock and trailer assembly bearing the same.
2. Prior Art
When a vehicle trailer is unhitched from its pull cab, various types of locks can be used to prevent the rehitching of the trailer to another cab for theft of the trailer. For those trailers and cabs employing ball and socket hitching devices, locks have been devised to fit over or within the socket (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,571,964; 3,492,023; 3,810,664; and 3,884,005) or over the ball (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,171). All of such locking mechanisms are relatively easy to pry off of or out of the protected ball or socket component. For those trailers which use hitches in the form of front vertically depending posts containing annular recesses and posts, which posts fit into rear vertical contoured cab bed openings, locks such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,641,124 have been devised. Such a lock encloses the hitch post and thus is also easy to pry off in order to expose the post for use.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved type of durable, inexpensive and effective trailer hitch post lock which resists prying off and easily and efficiently renders the post temporarily unusuable for hitching. Preferably, such lock should also have an automatic locking mechanism which operates when the lock is placed into position and closed.